ELEVEN (11)

[nakins]

Well, I noticed that when RG departed from his daily G1 routine that it slowed down. But, think the devoted G1 posters remain. I haven't posted anything because I haven't been able to shoot at my home yet. And, I don't have a lot to offer otherwise, that isn't lame or on topic. when I get home at night, I look at three sites, fotocig, photodotnet, and G1. I will visit dpr once and a while and did a lot in days past. I learned a lot for one member, but got tired of another mermber's ego. So, I don't visit much there anymore. At least it hasn't blown up like zuga.net did. But, I figure that if my posted images (when i finally post one) pass the collective G1 muster, then I'm in pretty good shape. So, I hang around.

[ARTFORMS]

Originally Posted by Bobby_G

Eleven...!!

Thats the number of threads yesterday that had A post in it...11...

WOW, a couple of years back there would be 100 posts within the hour....

It's sad that a site that was so much fun to hang out and was such a great learning source, can fall to what G1 has become....

I think that Bobby is comparing G1 to the previous Garage Glamour and not what other sites do. I have noticed a big drop off recently also. There were some excellent regulars here that posted some quality work and plenty of it. If you have only been here for the past year or two you wouldn't know.

[GREENXTREME]

I do not post much simply because im not real smart.. I'm learning new stuff daily and getting a few pieces of equipment as I go. I did however make a comment about one of my favorite photogs on this site and never even got a simple "hey thanks".. mmmm.. makes me want to run my post count up.. or maybe I'm out of my league here.. oh well I guess I will keep learning and have some stuff worth posting someday..
Till then.. keep up the good work guys and gals..

[PhotoDave1]

I agree with Bobby G about this and I do find that the new G1 site is not as lively as the former Garage Glamour site in fact I had a PM with RFS a few months ago on this exact topic, a lack of active members and participation.

I also agree that I never want to see G1 degenerate to the "other" site that is referenced in this post. I also post and participate on that site but it is way too much of a free for all for me to take it too seriously and there are way too many flame fests and no-talent little girl "internet models" trying to cajole money out of photographers for doing absolutely nothing.

I wish that G1 was a little more spirited and lively and not so deathly serious. I know there are a lot of hard working pros on G1 but can't we have some fun?? I have posted photos on G1 for C&C and gotten my head handed to me but I have learned from it and a couple of my photos have actually gotten high marks and to me that means a lot. I have also learned that rather than try to be like everyone else I photograph in my own style and the only two peopel who matter are myself and the model.

One of the conclusions that RFS and I came to is that G1 is a bit harder to get used to and to navigate due to the new server systems and maybe that has scared some people off but that is a casualty of progress. It took me a while but I finally found my way around and if I can trust me, anyone can.

Come on guys, let's all try to lighten up and enjoy ourselves just a little. Let's have some fun. Life is way too short to be serious all the time. Nuff said!

[DanNV]

Originally Posted by Bobby_G

Eleven...!!

Thats the number of threads yesterday that had A post in it...11...

WOW, a couple of years back there would be 100 posts within the hour....

It's sad that a site that was so much fun to hang out and was such a great learning source, can fall to what G1 has become....

I agree. Many of the people who posted images or critiques that I enjoyed reading and learned from aren't hear anymore. I miss the old GG for that reason. It's so quiet here, I only come through periodically where I used to go to GG every day.

Dan

[lvthunder]

Originally Posted by PhotoDave1

One of the conclusions that RFS and I came to is that G1 is a bit harder to get used to and to navigate due to the new server systems and maybe that has scared some people off but that is a casualty of progress. It took me a while but I finally found my way around and if I can trust me, anyone can.

That's the problem. Why should G1 be harder to use? Is it really considered progress when you have less people participating. The real masters of this art don't have to time (or ambition) to try to figure out how to use a site to talk about what they know. Why does RFS have to come up with so many posts about how to do stuff around here? This site desperately needs to be simplified. I never understood the whole conversion from GG to G1. Rolando comes out with the book called Garage Glamour then it seems a couple months later he changed it to G1. If you want to know what I would change around here just ask.

[BenE]

It appears many forums have the same situation, and when look at the number of views as opposed to the number of replies it is interesting.
Just a quick tally of what I found. I looked at only the first page of the sections and did not include the "polls" or "sticky":

Main community had 8,058 views on 19 threads, 172 replies
Reviews and Critiques 12,463 views on 20 threads, 116 replies
Tech Talk 5,305 views on 20 threads, 151 replies
Nudes 18,961 views on 20 threads, 194 replies

As with most forums the nude section(s) receive the most views. And I noticed that even in the reviews and critique section the most views seem to be those with an indication of glamour images or at least had a feminime name. There was one exception, which was a post made by a photographer who was asking for some help, but seems to have disappeared.

What does this indicate? I have absolutely no idea.

I do know that a lot of information is passed along on this forum, and (at least) some education is being promoted, which says a lot.

As far as who has posted in the past, I cannot say, but I believe that most of the photographers who post on this forum, as well as others, could be classified as beginners, but there are a good number of working professionals. I also believe that working photographers have much less time or inclination to reply or even start a thread then others who might be asking questions that are at times basic.

Well.. that is all I have to add.. and why I took time to collect those figures is beyond me. I should be painting my camera room and constructing new props and backgrounds for the upcoming senior season. But you know what? I enjoy my morning soft drink and looking at this forum ( I actually look at a couple of others), because although I have operated my studio full time for 38 years, I believe I can still learn something from most all photographers.

[Dman65]

I have to agree with Bobby G's original post. I am not sure that there is really anything that can be done about that fact. I think it is just a statement of fact at this point.

It could be a cyclical thing. Or maybe G1 just isn't the place to be any more. I know it lost a lot of steam back when the changeover occured and I am not sure it ever actually picked back up. It is a shame.

As far as all of the posts being on topic and not getting off into tangents goes, that can be a good thing on one hand, but then again a bad thing on the other hand. Those tangents can be a nuissance, but they also indicate life. With a very few people posting and most of the traffic just being views you really cease to be a forum. With so few posts the site starts to feel like a library where it used to seem more like the cafeteria.

[BenE]

I am just thinking out loud, so don't mind me...

If all the guys who said they wish there was more activity that also said they don't come here much anymore would start posting sometihng their own selves.....

Like I said.. I am just thinking out loud on a slow Friday afternoon.

[Al_Nowak]

Originally Posted by BenE

If all the guys who said they wish there was more activity that also said they don't come here much anymore would start posting sometihng their own selves.....

I am guilty of saying I don't come here much anymore, and it's true. In the distant past, it was not unusual for me to check in a couple of times a day (at lunch, and then after dinner...) but it was a diffent site then. The model and photographer pages looked like something, and were relatively easy to use. Now... well, I don't even bother with those pages anymore.

The forums were also a lot looser. Nudity was on the main forum and hot and heated arguments occurred with some frequency. I can remember several photographers being banned from the forums for comments they made... and probably they deserved it. Now the forums are like nice old ladies tea rooms, almost genteel for heavens sake...

A lot of the early period photographers have either stopped posting or even coming around. It's rare to see something from JT or Christian, and I haven't seen anything from Marc Grant and a bunch of the other guys from the early period in years. Things change...

I post with some frequency... you can see my total at the left. Not near what Jimmy D or some others do, but still a lot more than most others. Since I don't bother with the portfolio pages anymore, I don't post any images -- period. I'd have to put the images on a hosting site and link them here. That'd cost me a little money -- I don't have my own site, or even some storage space from my ISP. I've done it in the past, but as I said, things were different then.

Not posting images supposedly means I can't "officially" comment on other's images. The thing is, if you actually look at the critiques and comments being posted, it's rare to see a image being posted with the vast majority of them...

There's a lot of nostalgia for the old days... but they're not coming back. The site is what it is. The photographer's page thing is what changed my use of this site the most. I used to link to my GG page in every email I sent to a model but as I said, it looked like something to be proud of in those days.

I'll probably drift off one of these days, there are other sites I'm beginning to find more a lot more interesting...